Peter Crane facts for kids

Sir Peter Crane FRS (born 18 July 1954) is a famous botanist and leader of important science organizations. He is currently the president of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation. He also works as a senior research scientist at Yale University.

Sir Peter is known for his work on how flowering plants (called angiosperms) first appeared and changed over time. He studies plant fossils to learn about their history. He also wrote a popular book called Ginkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot. This book explores the long history of the Ginkgo biloba tree.

Early Life and School

Peter Crane was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, in the United Kingdom. When he was at Kettering Grammar School, he became very interested in local history, old discoveries (archaeology), and plants.

He went to the University of Reading and earned his first degree in Botany in 1975. He continued his studies there and received his Ph.D. in Botany in 1981. His Ph.D. research was about ancient plants found in the Reading Beds.

Sir Peter is married and has two children, a daughter and a son.

His Career Journey

Sir Peter Crane has worked at many important places around the world. These include the University of Reading, the Field Museum, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the University of Chicago, Yale University, and the Oak Spring Garden Foundation. He has also been a visiting expert at other universities and museums.

Working at the Field Museum

Peter Crane worked at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago for about 17 years. He started as an assistant curator of paleobotany, which means he helped manage the museum's collection of plant fossils.

From 1995, he became the director of the Field Museum. During his time as director, the museum's research and collections became even stronger. He also helped the museum get "Sue," a very well-preserved and almost complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex. Sue is now a very famous part of the Field Museum.

Leading Kew Gardens

In 1999, Sir Peter became the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. Kew Gardens is a world-famous place for plants. He wanted to connect Kew's important plant conservation work with the public.

While he was there, Kew Gardens became a UNESCO World Heritage site. He also helped the gardens use more digital technology. He introduced more seasonal events and festivals, which brought in more visitors. His leadership helped people understand how important plant diversity is for our future.

At the University of Chicago and Yale

After leaving Kew, Sir Peter returned to the United States in 2006. He became a professor at the University of Chicago for three years.

In 2009, he became the dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He helped the school manage its money during a difficult economic time. He also worked to help students get financial support and get involved in research. He encouraged more research teamwork within the school.

The Oak Spring Garden Foundation

In 2016, Sir Peter Crane moved to Virginia to lead the Oak Spring Garden Foundation. This new organization was started by Rachel "Bunny" Lambert Mellon, a famous landscape designer.

The foundation's goal is to "support and inspire fresh thinking and bold action on the history and future of plants." It focuses on plants, gardens, and landscapes, including their art and culture. The foundation has Bunny Mellon's beautiful gardens and a rare book library. Sir Peter is the first president of this foundation.

His Research and Books

Sir Peter Crane's research focuses on several key areas:

• How plants have changed and evolved over long periods.
• Studying both ancient plant fossils and modern plants to understand their diversity.
• Protecting the many different types of plants, including important food crops.
• Planning for non-profit groups like museums and botanical gardens.

Besides many scientific articles, Sir Peter wrote Ginkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot. He also edited important science journals like Paleobiology. He helped edit several books about how plants evolved and how to protect them. He also co-wrote two major books about plant evolution: The Origin and Diversification of Land Plants and Early Flowers and Angiosperm Evolution.

Awards and Recognitions

Sir Peter Crane has received many honors for his work:

• He became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1998.
• He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
• He is a foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences.
• He is a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
• He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences.

He received a knighthood in 2004 for his services to gardening and conservation. In 2014, he was given the International Prize for Biology. In 2024, he received the Darwin-Wallace medal from the Linnean Society.

He also has several honorary degrees from universities in the United States and the United Kingdom, including Sewanee: The University of the South, the University of Connecticut, the University of Kingston, the University of Portsmouth, and Cambridge University.